Abel prize for Szemerédi

I think Szemerédi’s sense of humor comes across well in the interview.

Interviewer: In 2008, when you were awarded the Rolf Shock prize, you commented that in your opinion the Fields medal, the Wolf Prize, and the Abel Prize were the three most prestigious prizes in mathematics. Did you expect to get one of these back then?

Szemerédi: I would like to modify my opinion — now I only regard the Fields medal and the Wolf prize as the most prestigious.